


Only Human

by LovinJackson



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Bruises, Episode Tag, Friendship, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-31
Updated: 2015-01-31
Packaged: 2018-03-09 22:05:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3265997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovinJackson/pseuds/LovinJackson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during Episode 2.23 between Steve being shot and Joe finding him in his office. Being human means you feel guilt and you make mistakes. Good friends make up for that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Only Human

He'd seen her.

He'd seen her in that hallway, crouched against the wall. He'd  _seen_  her. He'd touched her. He'd even spoken to her. She'd been right in front of him and he'd just raced on by without even a second thought.

Steve's jaw was set, teeth clenched as he made his way across the small parking lot to where they had left the cars. He moved slowly, a single droplet of sweat trailing down the side of his neck.

He'd been so focused on finding the 'guy' who had attacked their own that he hadn't  _once_  considered that they could have been chasing a woman. The moment he had received that call from Joe and the older man had told them they were looking for a woman, Steve had realised his mistake and his heart had sunk. She had been right there, literally in his grasp and he'd slipped right on by her.

Steve closed his eyes. He paused for a moment. Standing there, Steve pressed his hand to his left side. The twinge in his side, twinged around to his back. The moment he breathed in deeply, Steve regretted it. "Fuck ..." He gasped. What felt like razor sharp claws ripped into the inside of his torso. She'd gotten him good.

Hilary Chaver had supposedly been dead, killed in a high speed police chase. She was supposed to have been dead and yet this one woman had managed to kill Fryer, shoot Max, blow up HPD and kill two innocent civilians before they had stopped her. The Veterinarian and his receptionist might have been spared had he not been so short sighted. She had been right fucking there in front of him. Steve wanted to kick himself.

He felt like he  _had_  been kicked … hard. He took another couple of careful steps towards the cars, each step instigating sharp stabbing like sensations. It was like he was being jabbed by a jagged piece of glass. He could see Danny's Camero shining in the sun. It wasn't all that far away.

It was over now. Steve had made sure of that himself. He could still remember Danny's pleading gaze before he turned to verbally pleading him not to do anything stupid. He hadn't been able to comply. He'd taken three bullets to the back, his own death had been prevented only by the body armour he had been wearing. There was no way he was taking another chance, allowing her to get a shot off at his team. Enough people had died and enough of their own had been seriously injured. Steve didn't see his actions as stupid or reckless. He saw them simply what needed to be done without risking the people he cared about.

Danny hadn't been happy with his diversionary tactic, asking him once again if there was something the matter with him. There was. He was pissed. Angry about Fryer's death. They'd had their differences on occasion but the chief had been a good man. He was angry that Max was lying in a hospital bed after having been shot on  _his_  watch. He was angry at the amount of police injured when HPD had exploded. And he was angry over the two innocent people who had been gunned down for no good reason. The sharp, jabbing pain in his back from where the bullets had hit had only served spur him on.

He hadn't thought about the danger that his actions caused to himself. His only thought was to take down the threat. Enough was enough. He wasn't going to allow any member of his team to be the next casualty. His own safety was never a thought. He knew was what pissed his partner off. He didn't know any other way.

But Danny hadn't been the only one to give him that look this time. He'd seen it in Chin's face as the man had helped him to a standing position and he'd seen it in Kono's eyes before she had turned away and headed back to the front of the building. No-one had really liked his decision despite the relief he could feel from all of them that it was over. In the heat of the moment it never occurred to him that as much as he needed to protect his team, his family, that they didn't want to see him hurt either.

His body had apparently decided to agree with his team in regards to his tactics. His body had moved on autopilot. Adrenaline was a wonderful thing. He'd managed to get up, using a office chair as a distraction, slide across the ground and put four slugs into the enemy. He'd successfully taken out the threat. By the time he had been pulled to his feet by Chin and was following his team out of the room he'd started feeling the first signs. As the adrenaline started to wear off, as his heart beat had starting to come down to a more regular rhythm, Steve had started to think that maybe he hadn't gotten off so lightly.

Holding his arm pressed tightly against his side, Steve closed the remaining distance between himself and the Camero. His legs were shaking and his chest was tight. He felt restricted, claustrophobic almost. He needed to get the vest off.

Leaning one arm on the top of the silver car, Steve looked back at the veterinary clinic. Danny and Kono were still inside. He could see Chin just outside the entrance. He was on his phone, looking in the opposite direction. That was good. He had a moment to try and breathe without the watchful eyes of his team. Without Danny scrutinising every wince, every gasp. Because he would. Danny was like a damn mother hen.

Steve turned back towards the car and leaned his sweaty forehead against his forearm which still rested on top of the car. He took some slow breaths, trying hard not to breath too deeply. He was fine. He was. He was just coming down from an adrenaline high, allowing the hits to his body to make themselves known. He was doing better than the victims that Hilary had added up over the day. He was fine.

Or he would be once he got the bullet proof vest off.

Steve lifted his head. He  _needed_  to get the vest off. First things first. The gun strapped to him needed to come off. Instead of lifting the strap over his head and stretching his tender ribs, Steve reached up for the plastic buckle connection and pressed on either side, releasing its hold. The gun dropped into his hands. He placed it on the front passenger seat through the still open window.

Wiping at the sweat on his forehead, Steve, reached for the velcro strap on the side of his vest. He pulled the vest open, the tiny loops and hooks holding the strap together ripped apart loudly. He started to pull the vest upwards like he usually did. Up and over his head. It wasn't a hard thing to do. Only this time it was.

Steve couldn't stop the agonised cry that left his throat as he lifted his arm higher. The offending limb dropped immediately back down and pressed to his side as he folded in on himself. His knees hit the pavement, sending shock-waves through his body. "G-God..." He puffed.

He thought he heard someone scream his name. Steve blinked a few times to try and stop everything from wavering in and out in front of him. What felt like razors shredding into him continued to steal his breath. The hand not pressed into his side reached out clumsily for the car. His clammy hand slipped on the first attempt to get purchase.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Steve willed for everything to just stop, the thrumming pain in his side which just got worse with every breath he took, the dizziness. He kept his eyes shut. Okay, so he was a little more than tender, he was a little more than just bruised. God, Danny was going to kill him.

"Steve!"

That was louder. It sounded close by. It sounded like Danny. But he had been inside the Animal clinic, probably looking for the dog Hilary had used for a distraction. Steve shook his head and opened his eyes. His vision righted for a moment before it dipped and wavered. God, he was going to be sick.

Using his free arm, the former Navy SEAL tried to pull himself into a standing position once more. It felt like being stabbed repeatedly. "Arghh!" he cried, attempting to pull himself up against the car as he felt hands grasp his upper arm. The hold was strong and fierce like it had the ability to pull his arm from its socket.

"Steve, talk to me!"

It  _was_  Danny. "Shit!" Steve cursed, leaning back against the side of Danny's car, his arm wrapped around his torso. "I'm … I'm okay," he managed to wheeze, sounding nothing of the sort. It was hard to talk when you couldn't breathe.

"You're okay. He's okay," Danny muttered in disbelief, his hand not leaving Steve's arm. It was grounding him and keeping him upright. " _This_ is not okay," Danny continued. " _You_ not okay. You look like you're about to puke or pass out. Chin, help me get his vest off before the idiot face plants."

So Chin was there too. "I'm okay," Steve repeated, his voice barely audible.

"Do me a favour Superman and shut up." Danny's voice was harsh, it was angry. But Steve didn't need to look at the man to hear the worry there. Worrying made Danny sound angry. He hated putting that sound in his partner's voice.

"We'll get this off you, Steve and take a look." Chin told him. His voice even and calm.

"I … I think some-thing's … broken..." he wheezed, trying to help his friends with the vest.

"You're lucky it's not your head, you moron," Danny told him, meeting his eyes briefly. "Will you stop moving. Hey … hey, just breathe, buddy."

"Just let us do the work, brah." Chin suggested.

Between Chin and Danny he was finally free of the vest. Steve leant forward, one arm wrapped around his middle and the other hand on his knee supporting him. He wanted, _needed_ , to take a normal breath but all he could seem to accomplish was a fast quick pathetic attempt at breathing. It hurt to breathe any deeper.

His dark shirt was lifted up. Steve closed his eyes and concentrated on trying to calm himself. Someone gasped. He thought it was Danny. His shirt was pulled up further until the material was bunched up on his upper shoulders. Fingers traced lightly over the area he knew would be marked with bruises, where the bullets had hit and embedded into the back of his vest.

"Jesus Steve. We need to get you to a doctor." Chin's voice was serious, now. Steve glanced up at him, behind the Lieutenant he could see Kono approaching fast. In his attempt to get away and quietly assess his injuries he had managed to get the undivided attention of his entire team.

"I think ..." he began.

"Don't. This is what happens when you think." Danny only paused for a second before continuing, releasing his hold on his t-shirt. "What  _were_ thinking?"

But Steve didn't get to answer. Kono stopped in front of him. He was grateful. Talking wasn't easy when you couldn't breathe. "Boss, are you okay?"

Danny pulled out his phone. "Before he tells you otherwise, no he isn't. I'll call an ambulance."

"Danny ..." Steve tried. "No … ambulance, man." He wasn't taking a ride in an ambulance because of some possible broken ribs.

Danny pressed 'end call' and pocketed his phone and Steve was surprised that he had accepted that answer so quickly.

"Okay, then come on then. I'll take you."

"Okay." Steve wasn't going to disagree with that. Not this time. Ambulance or no ambulance he wasn't stupid. He needed to see a doctor.

"Keys." Danny demanded, held his hand out, palm open. Steve gingerly reached into the pocket of his cargo pants and fished out Danny's keys and tossed them to him.

Steve braced himself with the hand not currently tightly wrapped around himself and proceeded to push himself forward as Danny made his way around to the driver side of the car. The movement sparked a breath stealing pain to explode once more in his side. He felt himself falling back against the car as he growled through clenched teeth. Strong arms stopped his descent and kept him standing.

"We got you, boss," Kono assured him. She relinquished her hold on him to her cousin and turned to open the passenger door.

"I'm … sorry." He was. He hated the worry in their voices. He hated that he hadn't been able to protect Max. The quirky medical examiner was his responsibility when he was out in the field with them. That was the way he saw it.

"Careful. Here, sit down." Chin guided him to the now open passenger side door. He nodded. He hated this. He hated relying on people. He hated being a burden. He hated that all he could produce were short panted breathes as he was lowered into Danny's care as carefully and gently as possible.

"Shit..." he breathed. His arm hadn't moved from its position wrapped around his ribs.

"You've said that once already," Danny remarked. Steve glared at him in return. Danny paused and then spoke once more. "We'll be at the hospital in no-time. Just hang in there, babe."

"I'm ..."

"Not fine? We can see that. No talking. Just concentrate on not puking in my car." Danny's tone was a warning but his eyes didn't hide his concern, not over the interior of his car but the state of his partner.

"We'll stay here and wait for HPD and meet you at the hospital," Kono told them as Danny turned the key in the ignition. His partner nodded and then backed out of the parking spot before surging forward down the road.

Steve kept his head down, his eyes closed. Breathe in, breathe out. It really shouldn't have been so hard to keep the regular pattern. But it was. Sweat collected on his forehead. God, his chest was tight.

Holding himself very still against the movement of the car, Steve tried to keep the pain to himself. He knew Danny would be warring on whether to be as careful as possible or to drive as fast as he could to the nearest hospital.

He opened his eyes, distractedly lifted his free hand up to wipe the sweat from his his eyes. Cars and buildings and pedestrians zoomed past in a way that almost made him want to be sick. He couldn't look. He clamped his eyes closed tightly shut again, swallowing thickly.

" _...us stuff like this ...is serious..."_

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. He felt like he was in a tunnel, pressure all around, burying him, distorting everything. He was hot, flustered. This was stupid. He'd been fine. It wasn't the first time he'd been shot while wearing a vest. It hurt like a son of a bitch and bruised the hell out of you and sometimes, depending on the circumstances it could actually do some real damage. He had been fine. It wasn't until after he had gotten up and started walking to the car that his situation had started to rapidly decline.

" _Steve. Hey … listening to … Steve?"_

Steve lifted his head. The voice sounded far away. Fingers digging into his shoulder made him look in the direction of his partner. Danny was looking between him and the road in front of them, his face lined deeply with concern. Steve blinked at him. He wanted to tell Danny something. He wanted to tell him that he felt like crap. That something was wrong.

"Steven?" Danny's voice was softer, worried, his fingers dug deeper. "Can you hear me?"

Steve had to concentrate but he nodded, swallowed against the tightness in his throat. "Yeah ..." he breathed.

"Good. We'll be there in a few, okay? How you doing?" Danny asked, turning the corner using only one hand. Before Steve could formulate a reply, Danny continued as if in after thought. "If you say you're fine. I will punch you, in the face, just so you know."

Steve wanted to laugh. But he couldn't. "S'my fault." It hadn't been what Danny was asking but Steve had needed to get that off his chest. He couldn't help that maybe he deserved this, just a little. Things would have played out a lot differently had he not brushed right past Hilary in that hallway.

"What?"

Steve's chest hitched. It was like there was a vice on his chest. He was struggling to breath before. Now he just plain couldn't breathe.

"Steve! Hey!"

His eyes slipped closed without his permission and he felt Danny's hand on his shoulder again before consciousness fled, taking his struggle along with it.

**-H50-**

" _... be fine. The doc said so himself."_

" _We can stay. He scared the hell out of us all."_

" _Yeah, well … he's good at doing that."_

A Chuckle.  _"Call if you guys need anything, alright?"_

" _Would you guys get out of here. Tell Max we say hello and we'll pay him a visit soon."_

" _Will do."_

Footsteps faded, concluded with the sound of a door shutting closed. The room was not silent though. Other rushed footsteps in the distance, voices, machines, alarms … it was like waking up to a big jumble of sounds and smells. But there was something missing. The sharp jabbing pain was gone. There was a lingering niggling, throbbing but it was no longer the crippling pain of before. His head was fuzzy. That and the painless floating feeling all equalled to one answer. Drugs.

He was in a hospital. That much was obvious. He could smell the usual disinfectant, hear the usual sounds of monitors. But he was still in his clothes. Well he was still wearing his cargo pants at least. His shirt was gone, replaced with something wrapped around his middle. He had gained something else as well. A nasal cannula was situated under his nose helping supply him with oxygen.

Steve turned his head in the direction he had heard the voices. They were his team. Two of them had left. He knew who remained. It wouldn't have been anyone else. Danny was his partner. He would be there until he woke up … and then he would speak his mind whether Steve wanted to hear it or not.

"Steve?" Danny's voice was tentative, almost quiet. There was a pause like he was waiting for an answer, like he was waiting to see if Steve had actually been coming around. He was. "Steve, you back with us?" he asked, his hand brushed Steve's arm.

Steve took a big breath and for a moment he felt free like he could finally breathe without restraint again but it had been a mistake. Breathing deeply was still something to be avoided. He couldn't help the groan that escaped passed his lips.

"Wake up, Sunshine."

Steve reached up for the tubing under his nose. The air and tubing irritated him. But he was stopped by a hand gripping his wrist. He blinked his eyes open. His vision was blurry. The ceiling was bright and to his side there was Danny. A blurry shape that looked like his partner.

"That's it. Show us those baby blues."

"How long?"

"What?" Danny asked and let go of his wrist.

Steve's hand continued its mission to remove the the tubing. He reached up and pulled it down. "How long … was I out?"

"After you passed out in the car? Only a couple of hours. They fixed you up, gave you some stuff for the pain but otherwise said you were in no immediate life-threatening danger."

"Good to know," Steve sighed. He wanted to sit up but moving right now would just send him crashing over the bed only to end up on the hard floor. He needed to give it a few more minutes before he attempted that.

"That is of course as long as you do as you're told." Danny seemed to know what he wanted and reached for the controls of the bed and raised the head of it up a little more. He didn't know when he and Danny became so in tune with each other but it had happened and Steve wasn't ready to lose that. Stan and Rachel be damned.

"What happened?" Steve asked. It was a pointless question. He knew what had happened but he knew Danny would want to tell him, rant at him, order him to be less reckless. He wasn't above indulging his partner.

"What happened?" Danny repeated Steve's question in disbelief. "You're an idiot. That's what happened."

Steve chuckled and then stilled, the motion made his ribs twinge. "Ow." His hand gingerly rested on his ribs. "... I doubt that was what the doctor said."

Danny shrugged and waved his hand in the air. "I can read between the lines," he stated dryly. "You my friend, are one big bruise. Your back looks like it's been used as a punching bag. Looks like the force of those bullets not only bruised you but broke a couple of ribs."

"It wasn't the bullets." Steve corrected, wincing as he shifted on the bed.

"No." Danny agreed. "They didn't help, but I'm thinking it was that insane stunt you pulled that completed the job that the bullets started." It made sense. The shots to his back through the vest had hurt, had most likely made the broken ribs in question weaker so when he dropped and slid across the hard ground he'd done more damage. It wasn't until after that moment that he had felt himself in real trouble."Is there something the matter with you?"

"I believe you already asked that."

"I believe it warrants asking again. You scared the hell out of us, Steve. You're lucky all you ended up with is bruising and some broken ribs. You could have got your head shot off." Danny pointed at him, emphasising his worry and then placed both hands on his hips. "You're lucky there wasn't any internal bleeding or a punctured lung or..."

" She had to be stopped, Danny. She'd done too much already.  _I_  had to stop her." He'd taken it upon himself because it was his fault that she had gotten that far.

"Correction,  _we_ had to stop her. Despite what goes on in that scarily hard head of yours, not everything is all on you, Super SEAL," Danny stated in all seriousness.

Steve sighed, took a couple of slow breaths, and then using the edge of the bed as leverage. He pulled himself up, followed by swinging is legs over the side of the bed. "Argh … God …" He clenched his jaw shut, determined to not make any more sounds of distress. He was actually feeling much better than he had in the car.

Danny hovered, his hands reaching to grip his shoulders. He was there just ready in case Steve fell, in case he needed him. Like he had told him in the car earlier that day. Steve's problems were his problems, they were friends. That's what friends did.

"What are you doing?" Danny asked in frustration. He actually sounded tired.

"Sitting … up ..." Steve replied, his chest a little tighter on him now that he was in a sitting position. The wrappings keeping him together.

" Thank you, genius, I couldn't tell that for myself," Danny replied sarcastically. " _Why_  are you sitting? Would it be impossible for you to just rest. To just stop moving for more than two seconds."

"According to you, I've been lying here for a couple of hours. I need to get to the office."

Danny's brow's narrowed in confusion but he still placed himself in Steve's way, not allowing him to slip off the bed to his feet. "The office can wait."

"No, it cant."

"I assure you it can. What's so important anyway? The case is over."

Over. The case was over. The danger was gone. But Steve didn't feel like it was over, not completely. He couldn't forget Hilary crouched in that hallway. He couldn't forget walking past her, letting her get away. He needed to do something. "It's not over yet. Not for everyone."

Danny looked even more confused for a moment. There was a silent pause. The only sounds coming from the ER on the other side of the curtain closing off their little cubicle. He released one of Steve's shoulders.

Danny's eyes suddenly widened a little as something clicked. His confusion morphed into knowing and he let go of Steve's other shoulder. "Is this what this is all about?"

"What?"

"You said before that this was your fault … right before you passed out. You blame yourself for this?" Steve's silence must have been all the answer Danny needed because there was only a short pause before he continued. "You want to explain to me how this is even remotely your fault? You're not going anywhere until you say something, McGarrett, so spill. Your problems, my problems. Remember?

Steve kept his gaze locked on Danny's. He knew what Danny was going to say and part of him didn't want to hear it. He wasn't looking for validation of his actions. He never had. But he also was still learning what it was like to be able to lean on a friend. He wasn't used to sharing and caring. But he couldn't expect Danny to be the one to share all the time. Like his friend had pointed out. It went both ways.

"I saw her, Danny." He conceded, shifting awkwardly, trying to limit any pressure on his broken bones and bruised muscles. "Back in that damn basement hallway, back at HPD. I saw her and walked right on by without a second thought. Not you, not Kono or Chin Ho.  _I_ was the one that saw her and let her go. It was short-sighted, damn it, and now people dead because of it."

Danny was thoughtful for a moment. He stepped back, giving Steve a little bit more space. He was obviously no longer worried that Steve was going to get up and walk out of there in the next couple of minutes.

"What makes you think that is all on you? You weren't the only one in that chase, Steven. There was me and Kono and Chin. We all made the same assumption."

"Yeah, but I was the one that had her right in front of me. It just … it burns knowing needless death could have been avoided." That was what he hated. One little oversight had cost two people their lives.

"And a lot more would have been dead had you caught her there and then."

Now Steve was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Do you not remember what happened at HPD? If you had of realised that she was the perp then we would have never gone into that storage area and we would have never realised the building was about to blow. You, Me, the team and a hell of a lot of other cops would have died in that explosion if we hadn't of sounded off the warning for people to get out."

Steve lifted one eyebrow, his gaze still on his partner's. "You're trying to tell me that my ...our … oversight actually  _saved_  lives?"

"Did those bullets damage your hearing as well, because I'm pretty sure that's exactly what I just said."

He hated to admit it. But Danny was right. They would have never known what hit them. That explosion could have been a lot worse. But … "It still doesn't make me feel much better."

"It never will. But I guess my point? This is not all on you. We're a team. Just like when you pull crazy, stupid, stunts that give me a heart attack, try to remember we can help. It's not all on you." Danny crossed his arms over his chest.

"Yeah … I'll try to limit those." It wasn't likely that he would. Those crazy stunts were instinct. It wasn't something he thought about. It was a protective reaction. Steve wasn't sure he wanted to stop that. He was pretty sure Danny knew that as well.

"Sure..." Danny drawled.

The conversation ended quickly as the curtain was drawn back suddenly to reveal a small male doctor of Island decent. Thin rimmed glasses perched on his nose and he carried a clip board with him.

"Commander, you shouldn't be sitting up right now."

"I'm fine, Doc," Steve's automatic response earned an eye roll from his partner who moved out of the way for the doctor.

"I think I'll be the judge of that," The doctor responded, walking up to Steve. He put the clipboard on the bed and after a small inspection of Steve's injuries, the bruising on his back, he stood back. "You're a lucky man, Commander."

"That's what I told him," Danny stated smugly.

"When the bullets embedded themselves in your vest they hit hard enough to give you some pretty extensive bruising. You'll be sore and tender there for a while. But it's nothing that wont heal on it's own." The Doctor picked up his clipboard and looked down at his notes and then back up at Steve. "There was no internal bleeding which as strange as it may sound is quite a big risk when hit at a close enough range. The vest stops the bullets penetrating but they still give a pretty big kick."

It was definitely something Steve had heard all before. The body armour did its job but you didn't always get away unscathed. The way he was feeling now was a perfect example of that.

"Judging by the result of the x-ray, you managed to break two of your ribs. From the location of the bullets marks I would say that happened after the initial hit. Either way, we have wrapped them to limit movement and have been keeping ice on them on and off since you arrived. Not much more we can do for them other than order you to take it easy. Again, Commander, you'll be sore for a while."

"Thanks, Doc." Steve held his hand against his tender side.

The doctor picked up the clip board and jotted some notes down. "We've given you some mild pain killers to take the edge of the pain but it is about time we get you on ice again for a bit. The nurse will be in with a new ice-pack. You need to keep it on for another forty-five minutes. She'll also bring in the hospital gown for you. We'll monitor you overnight."

Steve held up a hand. "Wait a minute, Doc. There's no need for that."

"Here we go," Danny muttered.

Steve ignored his partner. His gaze fixated on the Doctor's. He wasn't staying here overnight. Not for a case of some broken ribs. He was a Navy SEAL and definitely had worse. "You said it yourself. I was lucky. I'm dealing with some bruising, some broken ribs, all of which I've dealt with before and nothing that I cant deal with at home."

"Commander," The Doctor started but was cut off.

"Doc, I'm fine. Really. You and I both know there is nothing you can really do other let them heal naturally and I can safely say I'll be able to relax much more at home." He kept avoiding his partner's gaze. He knew Danny didn't believe for a minute that he would relax as much as he should. But the shorter man wasn't arguing. Steve wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

The Doctor eyed him thoughtfully. "Okay."

Steve smiled and started for the cannula hanging around his neck.

"Hold up, Commander. There are some stipulations." The Doctor's words halted Steve's actions.

"You might want to run them by me too, Doc, because someone needs to keep this Neanderthal in line."

"Hey..." Steve protested.

Danny sent him a look that clearly told him not to argue. "Zip it, Macho Man."

The Doctor watched the exchange with a bemused expression. "May I continue?"

"Please do..." Both Steve and Danny said in unison.

"You stay here for the next forty-five minutes, allow the ice-packs to do their job. No arguments on that. Then you can go home. I expect you to do nothing. Just rest, keep movement to a minimum for at least a couple of days. Come back in a weeks time just so I can check your progress. Have we got a deal?"

Steve nodded. "Deal."

"Okay then. I'll make sure the nurse has your paperwork as well. And please commander come back straight away if you have any serious trouble breathing, if you bring up any blood ..."

Steve held up a hand again to stop the list about to spew forth from the doctor. "I promise. Been there, done that, Doc. I know the deal. Thank you."

The Doctor nodded and then shook Danny's hand. "Keep an eye on this one, Detective."

"Thanks, Doc." Danny watched the Doctor slip out of the curtain, once again leaving them alone.

Steve looked down at his at himself,inspected the starch white bandages. He hadn't been lying. He'd definitely been through this procedure before and Steve knew what his body could handle and what it couldn't. He would just have to be very careful for the next few days. No fast movements. He could handle that. The case was over. This downtime would give him a chance to dig into the whole Shelburne mystery. But before that. He had some letters to write. Condolence letters.

"So ..." Danny began, wringing his hands in front of him.

"So ..." Steve repeated. He looked at his friend. Like before, he looked tired and stressed. He felt a little bad about putting more stress on his partner's shoulders. "You doin' okay, man?"

Danny eyes showed surprise at the question. "Me? I'm not the one on the ER bed." He glanced down at his watch and then back up at Steve.

"You know what I mean," Steve pushed. "You got somewhere you have to be?"

Danny sighed, ran both his hands through his hair. He wasn't just tired. He looked down right weary. "I'm supposed to pick up Grace shortly. I … I have a decision to make."

"Is there anything I can do?" Steve wanted to help. He would do whatever he could to help Danny, to keep his friend on the Island. They were family. The whole team. But the thought of their partnership ending because Danny lost this fight … it wasn't something Steve wanted to think about. But he knew Danny couldn't be without his daughter. That little girl was his partner's world.

Danny shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, no. But don't worry, you'll be the first person I call if I need your super ninja skills. I just … well, I guess I just thought this was all over. I didn't want it to come to this."

"I know." Steve was still astounded about the whole situation. Danny had moved here because of Stan, he'd almost left the team to go back to Jersey with Rachel … he'd helped to deliver Stan's son and it all meant nothing? He had liked Rachel but right now he hated the callous way she was treating his friend. "Just remember we're here for you. All of us, okay."

"I'm gonna fight. I'm going to let Rachel do this. If that means dragging her name through the mud. Then so be it." Danny announced. Steve knew Danny had been agonising over the decision. He knew his partner didn't want to leave the Island or the team but he also didn't want to lose access to his daughter. Steve was glad to hear the sudden conviction in his voice, even if he still sounded beyond tired of it all.

"You better get out of here, then." Steve smiled.

"What about you? You gonna be okay?"

"I'm always okay, Danno."

"Yeah … well … I know its hard to believe but you're only human, man. So play nice and do as you're told."

"Yes, Mom."

"I'll send Kamekona to come and pick you up." Danny told him as he backed up towards the curtain.

"Will you just go."

"Going." Danny nodded and then turned, almost crashing into the nurse who entered the closed area. "Sorry."

Steve chuckled and then winced, holding his arm against his side. It hurt to laugh.

"Lay down on your uninjured side, Commander McGarrett." The nurse guided him down. He held in the gasp that wanted to escape as she gently eased the ice-packs on the sensitive areas.

It was over. The threat had been taken down. They could all breathe … some of them easier than others. Danny now could put all his concentration on fighting to keep his daughter and Steve could concentrate on Shelburne, whether Joe liked it or not.

But before that. Before it was really over. Steve had something to do. He had two letters to write. Letters to the families of the unfortunate victims in the Veterinarian Clinic. It was something that would be taken care of and not normally his responsibility but he felt he needed to field this one himself. That was exactly what he was going to do as soon as he escaped the confines of the hospital.

He would write the letters. Then it would be over. Then he could find Shelburne.

**The End.**

 


End file.
